Acura adds wagon to TSX lineup

Acura will add a wagon to its compact TSX car line for 2011, the premium brand of Japan’s Honda said during the recent New York auto show.

The TSX Sport Wagon will arrive at Acura dealerships in the fall and will offer highway fuel economy of up to 30 mpg, the company said.

It’s yet another in a series of new small wagons that automakers have been rolling out in response to rising gasoline prices and the steep drop in popularity of those big, thirsty SUVs that were so popular through the ’90s and early this past decade.

Such vehicles offer the fuel economy and comfort of passenger cars but some of the cargo-hauling capabilities of sport utilities, making them attractive to consumers who want to burn less gasoline but not give up roomy interiors.

“The TSX Sport Wagon represents a smart choice for those seeking a vehicle with utility,” said John Mendel, Acura’s executive vice president for sales. “It’s practical, fun to drive, luxurious and technically advanced, all while achieving … outstanding fuel economy.”

There is a removable side panel in the cargo area that allows for loading wide items such as golf clubs, Acura said, and there are under-floor storage bins where valuables can be hidden while the vehicle is parked. These would be good for state and national parks, where vehicle break-ins are common in remote areas.

A pair of bucket seats up front and a rear bench with a split-folding seatback provide accommodations for five passengers, and Acura says all five can sit comfortably.

The car has a “sleek, European-inspired exterior,” the company said, with such elements as “bold wheel arches,” 17-inch aluminum wheels, a sloping roof and a “chiseled, muscular body.”

Under the hood is a 2.4-liter, double-overhead-cam, four-cylinder engine with computerized variable valve timing. This is also the base engine in the TSX sport sedan; it is rated in that car at 201 horsepower and 170 foot-pounds of torque, with EPA ratings of 21 mpg city/30 highway with a five-speed automatic transmission. That transmission will be used in the TSX Sport Wagon, as well.

Honda apparently will not offer the six-speed manual transmission from the TSX sedan, nor the optional 3.5-liter, 280-horsepower V-6 engine that was added to the lineup for 2010. That engine in the sedan comes only with a five-speed automatic gearbox.

The Sport Wagon’s automatic will feature steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters that allow the driver to shift manually without having to use a clutch.

Acura said the wagon would have the same kind of brisk acceleration and sure road handling as the sedan, “allowing it to easily tackle a twisty mountain road or swiftly navigate through city streets.”

Among high-tech features will be an optional hard-disk based navigation system with a new 8-inch high-resolution color monitor and AcuraLink Real-Time Traffic and Weather with radar-image mapping.

If you’re into music, the car also will be offered with the really cool Acura/ELS Surround Premium Audio System, which has a hard-disk drive for onboard music storage.

Among included safety features will be Acura’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure, front seat-mounted side air bags, roof-mounted side-curtain air bags for both rows, electronic stability control, antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, tire-pressure monitoring and LATCH child-seat connections.

The wagon will be 189.4 inches long, which is 3.8 inches longer than the sedan. It will be 72.4 inches wide and 57.9 inches high and will have a wheelbase of 106.5 inches (the same as the sedan’s). It’s the same width as the sedan, but 1.2 inches taller.

No prices have been announced yet, but four-cylinder models of the 2010 TSX sedan range from $29,310 to $32,410 (plus $810 freight).